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Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) Fiber -- although available only in Kansas City -- remains one of the fastest Internet access options in the US with 1 Gbps fiber connection at $70 per month, but Verizon's (NYSE:VZ) new offering might challenge Google's speed.

Nobody is expecting much from the Cupertino-based tech giant this time around. With Apple's own guidance between $33.5 billion and $35.5 billion in revenue and between 36% and 37% in gross margin, analysts expect slightly higher or flat revenue, and a declining margin – from 42.8% the same quarter last year to 37% this year.

Earnings are expected to drop significantly, from $9.32 per share to roughly $7.5 per share year over year.

In part, the results might be attributed to sales of the iPhone 5, the newest Apple smartphone to date. According to a new report, sales of the iPhone 5 represented 50% of iPhone salesfor three consecutive quarters after a short 68% burst at its launch. Roughly one-third of iPhone sales is still attributed to iPhone 4S, a model introduced in 2011.

New handsets from Motorola and Nokia are set to rekindle competition.

The traditional iPhone update is likely to happen in the fall, and with that in mind, smaller players tend to announce their handsets in the summer. Google's Motorola has revamped its Droid family today with new Mini, Ultra, and Maxx smartphones; they're available for pre-order today at $99, $199, and $299, respectively. All the devices feature Kevlar backing, improved performance, and HD screens (including an 1080p display in the Droid Ultra). Maxx boasts an enormous 3,500 mAh battery that runs for 48 hours.

Finnish company Nokia (NYSE:NOK), once a venerable market leader, is now desperately trying to catch up to Apple and Samsung (OTCMKTS:SSNLF) by continuously lowering handset prices.

The Nokia Lumia 625 smartphone that was announced today will hit the shelves in early September for around $290 off-contract; it offers robust tech specs, including a 4.7-inch screen (800x480) and LTE connectivity.

With the exception of public companies like Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE:BAH), most security heavyweights like Endgame or Shape Security are privately owned.

The increase in cyber protection expenditures comes as no surprise, given the market's awareness of the threats facing the tech industry.

Cyber attacks might drain as much as $120 billion per year from the US economy, according to a joint study by Intel's (NASDAQ:INTC) McAfee and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The global numbers are even more spectacular, with an estimated annual loss of between $300 billion and $1 trillion.